SRT Marine Systems to aid Ecuador against illegal fishing

SRT Marine Systems on Thursday agreed to supply the government of Ecuador with an IUUF (illegal, unreported, unlicensed, fishing) detection system.

The AIM traded maritime management and surveilence systems provider said the agreement will involve the supply and install its GeoVS display and analytics system in Ecuador and a feed of customised satellite monitoring data over a three-year period.

Simon Tucker, chief executive of SRT Marine Systems, said: "We are delighted to have entered this initial Agreement with Ecuador. The advanced data fusion and analytics capabilities of our GeoVS system will enable our customer to quickly and accurately identify illegal fishing and other maritime activities and take appropriate action."

The South American nation has battled against illegal fishing for years and last year jailed 20 Chinese fishermen after they were found in the waters near the Galapagos Islands with the bodies of 6,600 sharks, including near-extinct or endangered species.

At the time, the country’s ministry of defence suggested there could have been as many as 300 illegally operating in Ecuador’s waters, prompting fury from the Ecuadorian public.

"The proven functionality and reliability, combined with the sophisticated analytics and future scalability of our systems, were key factors in the customer's decision. We look forward to developing this relationship further in the future which may include expansion to include coverage of the local fishing fleet," said Tucker.

As of 0828 BST, SRT Marine Systems’ shares were up 7.25% at 32.98p.